Star Wars: Dark Horizon
by Govant
Summary: Five hundred years have passed since the Sith have fallen. But there is movement in the shadows. A darkness is on the horizon. Jedi Knight Blayde Artanik, and his apprentice, Mya Nova, travel the galaxy, working to bring new systems under the leadership of the Galactic Alliance. Yet, not all is what it seems. The darkness is drawing close. And the light must stand firm.
1. Prologue: Showdown

_**Prologue:**_

 **Showdown**

 **A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...**

Blayde ducked under the incoming attack. The purple lightsaber singed the tops of his hairs, telling him he was millimeters away from being a dead apprentice. Spinning away, he regained his composure, and waited for the battle to ensue. Nearby, Master Palidore was engaged with an enemy of his own.

"Who are you?" Blayde shouted at the masked being in front of him. The humanoid body was covered entirely in white robes and armor. Nothing gave him any hints about the attacker's age, species, or gender. He hoped his question answered some of his confusion.

"We are the darkness," a deep male's voice answered, distorted slightly by the mask. "We are the Sith."

Blayde nearly laughed. It was impossible. The Sith died with Palpatine and Vader nearly five hundred years earlier. Some tried to rise and grasp the mantle, but they were all dealt with by the surviving Jedi of Luke Skywalker and Rey. They were dealing with another couple of imposters. Dark force-users, yes. But not Sith. They couldn't be. Besides, the enemy was wearing white. "And I am a Hutt Crime Lord."

"Pathetic human," the voice sounded again. "Your arrogance blinds you from the truth. Believe what you will, Jedi. The Sith are alive, and very real. Soon you will see, but it will be too late for you, the Jedi Order, and the Galactic Alliance."

Despite his initial response, Blayde felt the truth of the man's words echo through the Force. It caught him off guard.

And the self-proclaimed Sith attacked.

Blayde formed an _X_ with both his lightsabers, intercepting the Sith's downward slash. A myriad of colors splashed around him as the tones of blue, orange, and purple intersected. The Jedi kept his orange saber in place and attacked with his blue. Instead of trying to defend, the Sith backflipped away from danger.

A stalemate once again.

Blayde deactivated both his swords and waited.

The wind howled outside the storage facility they found themselves in. A storm was raging, and Blayde was glad their duels were happening away from the hostile environment of Mygeeto. His Master and he were sent here to help one of the Lurmen colonies relocate after a storm – like the one outside – destroyed their village.

Rumors spread about the storm. Some called it unnatural – never seen before on Mygeeto. At first, they thought nothing of it. Then another storm occurred, and Master Palidore felt a small disturbance in the force. It led them to investigate. And when they did, they discovered the two dark Jedi: who were just as surprised by the Jedi's presence.

Taking a quick look to his left, Blayde watched Master Palidore dance gracefully in battle with his opponent – a non-human of some sort. He couldn't even begin to speculate what species he or she was.

"Tell me, Jedi, what do you fear?"

He said the first thing that came to his mind. "Your face, apparently. Why else would you keep it covered up? Must be a hideous sight." Casually, he moved his left hand over his wrist comm. "I must thank you for saving me from having nightmares about your disgusting visage. It is quite honorable of you."

The attacker growled and lunged towards him with incredible speed. Blayde clicked the button on his comm and somersaulted into the air. Seeing an opportunity, he propelled the hilt of his orange lightsaber with the Force towards the unprotected back of his enemy. At the last moment, he activated it, hoping to catch him unawares. However, the dark Jedi spun, and electrocuted the lightsaber with a blast of lightning. His weapon went soaring across the room.

 _I must leave it for now._ Blayde ignited his second lightsaber, rushed forward, and the two warriors exchanged blows with their weapons.

Block, attack, dodge, Force push, block, attack, attack, dodge.

Blayde lost himself to the flow of the battle, allowing the Force to guide his attacks and steps. The problem was his opponent was also being guided by the Force. Which one of them would make a mistake first? Which one of them was going to lose their focus?

The Sith imposter gathered the darkness around him, and conjured a shadowy spear shrouded in glowing red energy. Blayde's eyes grew large. He'd never seen anything like this before. With a yell, the spear came hurtling towards him.

Focusing within himself, the Padawan summoned the Force from every part of his body, and emanated a wave of blue energy, repulsing the shadowy spear away from him. Not willing to lose any momentum, he willed the wave into a whirlwind, and sent it soaring towards the masked figure.

His attack failed to connect. A loud scream of anger and frustration broke through his whirlwind and shattered any hope of Blayde gaining the upper hand. He prepared himself for another flurry of attacks from a lightsaber, but it didn't come

Instead, his mind started reeling from fears he thought he conquered and buried a long time ago. He dropped his lightsaber, and placed both of his hands on his head, trying to remain in reality. He saw himself failing to become a Jedi Knight. An image of his Master lying dead flashed before his eyes, and he felt hopeless as there was nothing he could do to stop it. Finally, he saw his own death, a purple lightsaber embedded in his stomach, and the life draining from his eyes. The three scenarios replayed themselves over and over in his mind.

 _He is using the dark side to break me. I must break through. I can't let this destroy me._

Blayde quieted his mind, despite the draw of the three fears dominating his thoughts. He reached out to the Force, and slowly began to retake ground. He dismantled each fear one by one. _This is not real. The Force is my ally, and my strength. This is not real!_

Dropping his right hand from his head, he picked up his lightsaber. The attack of fear intensified. "No!" Blayde shouted out, allowing the Force to clear his mind, and regain clarity. "You will not control me!"

He leapt into the air, ignited his lightsaber, and attacked. Recently, he started teaching himself a technique that allowed him to slow down time during a fight to gain the upper hand. He created a Force bubble around him and thrust his weapon forward.

Unfortunately, he was too hasty. The Force bubble wasn't fully complete. His jab was intercepted and countered. Blayde saw the purple blade coming for his face. Instinctively, he pulled back, but it wasn't enough.

The tip of the purple lightsaber hit his cheek and slashed up over his right eye. Instant pain raced through his body. Once again, he fell to the ground, unable to see out of his right eye. _Master!_ His mind reached out with the Force.

Blayde wasn't entirely sure of everything that followed. All he heard was a loud roar, and his opponent's focus was no longer on him. He lifted himself up to his knees. Across the room, Master Palidore held out his left hand in his direction. Turning his head, Blayde saw a massive crystal worm – one of the many unique creatures of Mygeeto – burst through the facility's foundations and attack the Sith imposter. One of his master's many abilities with the Force was being able to control creatures of any kinds, and he summoned one to protect his apprentice.

 _Can you move?_ His master's voice sounded in his head.

 _I don't know. I cannot see out of my right eye._

 _You can always see. Let the Force guide your steps. Don't rely on your strength. It will fail you, my Padawan._

Blayde listened to the caring, and correcting, voice of his Master. Once again, he opened himself up to the Force, and let it guide him away from danger. Arriving near some containers, he saw down with his back against them, and waited for their reinforcements to arrive. _Aldacav should be here soon. I summoned him while I was fighting._

 _Good. When he arrives make sure he…_

His master's voice cut off. Pain once again ripped through Blayde's body, but this time it wasn't his own. With his one good eye, he saw the other Force User standing close to Master Palidore, and the Chiss' left arm lying on the ground, separated from his body.

The crystal worm, who was being controlled by Palidore, regained its mind, and started thrashing around wildly. It knocked out one of the building's supports. The roof creaked. If another support was hit, the entire building was going to come down on top of all of them.

Before the crystal worm had a chance to do any more damage, a storm of lightning enveloped the creature from the fingertips of the non-human. Using the distraction, the other humanoid, climbed up the worm's figure and stabbed his lightsaber into the location of the creature's brain. Within seconds, the showdown was finished.

"Master," the dark Jedi with the purple lightsaber spoke. "Let's finish these Jedi. Send a message to the Order that we have returned. Show them the Sith are still alive and well."

"No, my apprentice," his master's voice boomed. "We must leave."

"What? Why? We have their lives in our hands."

"Others are coming."

 _Aldacav and Zeta squad_ , Blayde thought.

"We can kill them too."

"No!" The room reverberated with the power behind his words. "We must go back into hiding. Now is not the time for us to be revealed. The galaxy is not yet ready for the Sith to return."

"Then we should kill them, so there are no witnesses." The apprentice pleaded. He yearned to kill.

"You underestimate our opponents. Yes, they are injured. But they are far from defeated. And if we stay, and the others arrive and see us, we risk losing everything the Sith have fought so long to build." The master paused. "No, these Jedi must live. The Force tells me they still have a part to serve in our plans. Now come. It is time to return to the shadows."

The two Dark Jedi…Dark Force users…Sith…whoever they were – disappeared.

Thirty seconds later, Zeta squad stormed into the building.

"Blayde!" His friend's voice was music to his ears. "Hurry, someone get me the medical supplies!"

"Master Palidore is injured too!"

"I will be fine!" His master's voice declared. "Help Blayde first."

"What happened here?" Aldacav asked as he prepared to work on Blayde's wound.

"The Sith…" he managed to say before he entered into the dark horizon.


	2. Chapter 1: Force Vision

_**Chapter 1:**_

 **Force Vision**

 _ **8 years later…**_

You can't be serious, High Magistrate!"

Master Palidore placed his right hand on Blayde's shoulder; a subtle reminder that his tone of voice was disrespectful towards the leader of the Galactic Alliance – the major ruling power in the known galaxy.

"I am very serious, Jedi Blayde," the High Magistrate replied calmly. "The Senate has voted to stop allocating the GA's resources to hunting down the alleged Sith you met on Mygeeto eight years ago."

High Magistrate Tiz-Lish-Rigin, a Cerean with blond hair shifting quickly to white, was voted in to the position a year previous. The previous High Magistrate supported the Jedi Council collaboration with the military to hunt down the Sith. Tiz-Lish, however, saw it as a futile use of their resources. His platform for victory centered on keeping peace and harmony in the Alliance. Rumors of the Sith's return worked against this.

"Alleged?" Blayde questioned again, this time keeping control of his tone.

"Yes, alleged." Tiz-Lish's calm demeanor irritated Blayde. _Just relax. Focus on the Force._ "Master Palidore and you are the only ones who saw the attackers. No one else. And there has been no sight or hint of them since. The time has come for the Galactic Alliance to move on. The galaxy is a large place with many issues. There are pirates within our borders. Systems on the fence of staying aligned with us. There are other systems we'd like to see join us but have refused up til now. Crime syndicates are on the rise in the Mid-Rim. These are issues the Jedi can help us with. Chasing Sith phantoms does not."

"The Jedi serve the Force, High Magistrate," Jedi Master Tora Degafe responded. Though the Jedi Council were all equal in their voice, the human female was the official spokesperson, and was the only member present at the meeting. Many looked to her for wisdom and guidance. A Jedi for over forty years, she was willing to help any who needed it.

Three hundred years earlier, the Council voted to remove the title Grand Master from their ranks. They believed it was better to focus on the will of the Force as a group, instead of relying on a single Jedi to bear the load. So far, the system seemed to be working well, though Blayde didn't have anything to truly compare it to.

"What exactly do you mean by that, Jedi Master Tora?"

"Whether the Senate likes it or not, the Jedi will serve the will of the Force. If the Force leads us to hunt down the Sith, we will obey. If not, we will step back."

"As you know, I have no control over the Jedi Order. I cannot tell you what you can and cannot do. I called this meeting to inform you that the Order will no longer have the Galactic Alliance in their pocket to conduct their search. Whenever you help us with official governmental business, you have all the resources still available to you. But no special Jedi projects."

"The Sith are not just an enemy to the Jedi. They are an enemy to the stability of the galaxy," Palidore gave his input. "Five hundred years ago, the Senate allowed themselves to be controlled by Palpatine, and the Clone Wars occurred. The Jedi were betrayed and nearly destroyed. We must not repeat the same mistakes again."

Tiz-Lish glared at Palidore, a rare occurrence. "I am no Palpatine."

Palidore held up his hand in peace. "Nor was it my intent to imply you were. I am simply suggesting this topic be revisited by the Senate."

"Unfortunately, Master Jedi, it is out of my hands. Only a motion in the Senate could reverse the vote. Perhaps, you should look to some of your political friends for aid."

"We do not involve ourselves in political affairs, High Magistrate," Tora firmly declared. "You know this. It is forbidden in our Order after the debacle with the Clone Wars."

"Then there is really nothing I can do for you in this matter." Tiz-Lish waved his hands dismissively. "If the Sith do exist, they do not seem to be interested in the affairs of this galaxy. Therefore, we should not be wasting our time going after them."

"Not interested that we know of, High Magistrate," Blayde replied. "The Sith work in the Shadows. They will not arrive here on Coruscant and proclaim who they are. They are smarter than that. There was a thousand years of silence before the Clone Wars. There have been five hundred now. As my Master said, we cannot repeat the same mistakes as our ancestors."

"Then bring me proof. Show us the Sith exist, and I assure you the Senate will do everything in its power to make sure they do not return." A loud sigh of exhaustion came from Tiz-Lish's lips. "Please, do not interpret my stance as an acceptance of the Sith. We all remember the blight they are in the galaxy. The Senate knows this galaxy's long history. Some of them were even alive during the Empire. We do not want them to return either. However, the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi work best when our efforts are on maintaining peace, order, and unity within our borders. I ask the Jedi to return to this focus. We need you."

Blayde couldn't argue with the Galactic Alliance's leader. With the Jedi trying to find the Sith, they did abandon their call to be the guardians and protectors of peace in the galaxy.

"And we are here to help," Tora Degafe professed. "I will alert the Jedi Order to this decision. I will also make the suggestion we honor the agreement the Jedi made with the GA in its infancy. It was the will of the Force then. It is still the will of the Force now."  
"Thank you, Jedi Master Tora."

She held up her hand to indicate she wasn't finished. "If we discover proof of the Sith. We will bring it immediately to the Senate with the understanding that we will stand as one against the threat."

"You have my word," Tiz-Lish gave a slight nod of his head.

"Forgive me, High Magistrate, but words are easy to be lost in translation. I want an official document drafted and signed by you and myself, and then presented to the Senate. No deals behind closed doors. No hidden meetings. Everything must be out in the open."

"Very well," the High Magistrate said between pursed lips. "I will have it prepared for later this afternoon and sent to the Jedi Temple for your signature. Once received, I will present it to the Senate."

"Will it have to be voted on?" Blayde ignorance of political situations was no secret to those in the room.

Tiz-Lish answered him. "The document itself is simply an agreement that the Senate will be notified about the Sith if there is proof of their return. There is no need for anything to be voted on."

"If there is nothing else, High Magistrate, I ask that we may have your permission to return to the Temple. As you say, the Alliance is in need of our help, and the Jedi will need to reorganize our members to give aid."

"Actually, Master Tora, there is something I'd like to discuss with you first. I have a mission of utter importance, and I want your opinion before I make my decision."

"Very well."

Palidore turned to Blayde. "That is our cue to leave. I am sure your apprentice will be pleased. She doesn't enjoy sitting around idly." The Chiss Jedi turned to the High Magistrate and gave a bow. Blayde did the same. "Thank you for your time, High Magistrate."

"The pleasure is always mine, Master Palidore and Jedi Blayde. Until we speak again."

"Master Palidore," Tora caught their attention before leaving. "Head back to the Temple without me. I sense I will be here for a while."

"Yes, Master." Palidore opened the office door with his only hand. After the duel eight years ago, he refused a synthetic limp, opting to learn to adapt – with the Force as his ally – to life with only one arm.

"Master!"

Blayde smiled at his young Padawan. A Mirialan with forest green skin, Mya Nova stood out against the sharp white walls. Only seventeen, Blayde had been training her for nearly two years. She smiled, and her two V-shaped tattoos – constructed of five small squares each – moved up with her cheeks.

"How did your meeting go with the High Magistrate?"

"The Senate has decided to stop supporting the Jedi Order in the hunt for the Sith."

Mya looked at Master Palidore for an indication that Blayde was lying to her. He only nodded at her.

"Why would they do this?"

"They have their reasons," Palidore interjected. "No need for us to worry about them right now."

"But the Sith," Mya stated.

"I am frustrated by it too," Blayde reassured her. "The Jedi are not giving up on trying to find the Sith. Only now, we lack any outside help."

"And we can return our focus to helping the people of the Galactic Alliance. While we are doing this, we will keep an eye out for any hint of the Sith. I will do what I can here on Coruscant. As the Master of the Historical Archives, I am needed here."

"What about us?"

The question plagued Blayde's mind as well.

"I am sure the Jedi Council will make it clear once they decide our best course of action. As the High Magistrate mentioned in our meeting, there are many places for the Jedi to go and give their aid."

The three Jedi exited the building and witnessed the ever-busy Coruscant skyscape in front of them. Speeders, ships, and transports were all focused on getting to the place they needed to be. On the landing pad nearby, a special taxi waited for the Jedi to bring them back to the Temple.

"Shouldn't we wait for Master Tora?"

"She told us to go on without her," Blayde mentioned, casually wondering about the subject of the meeting. "Besides, you need to get in some training. We have laxed of late."

"I was hoping you'd forget."

Palidore laughed.

"What?" Both Blayde and Mya asked in unison.

His red eyes met Mya's. "Your Master and I had this same discussion many times in the past. It is fitting he has it with you."

"Did you ever forget?"

"He never did," Blayde recalled, smiling as he did. "One time, we returned home from a mission on Raxus Prime. It was late at night. Instead of letting me go to bed, he made me spar for two hours before I was allowed to sleep."

"It did you good." Palidore rubbed his head.

"We were using our lightsabers all the time on Raxus."

"Which is why you needed to spar," Palidore countered. "There were a few things wrong with your technique."

"So, you say," Blayde playfully argued.

Instead of answering, Palidore winked at Mya.

"I saw that, Master."

"I wasn't trying to hide it."

They all laughed.

As they rounded one of the many skyscrapers, the Jedi Temple came into view. For thousands of years, the old Jedi temple stood as a beacon of hope and light for the galaxy to cling to in the dark times. When Palpatine and Vader initiated the rule of the Empire, they took the battered Temple and reformed into the Imperial Palace. The thought of it made Blayde sick to his stomach. The Empire literally sat on the dead bodies of the Jedi.

For some reason, after the destruction of the second Death Star, Luke Skywalker did not rebuild the temple on Coruscant. Instead, he opted to build his own temple on a secluded planet – one still not found in any of the records. Like its predecessor, it was destroyed.

Forty years later, the Jedi decided it was time to return to Coruscant. However, they believed a new site was needed: one to honor the past and push for the future. Boasting the same ziggurat design, the new temple was almost twice the width of the previous one, allowing for larger living quarters, gardens, training rooms, and classrooms. The biggest change came on top of the ziggurat. Instead of the five spires from the previous temple, there was only one large spire. Off to the sides, two buildings curved around the spire. From a distance, the top of the Temple looked exactly like the symbol of the Jedi order.

After landing, Palidore left Blayde and Mya. He told them there was someone he needed to meet with concerning some lost historical records from the Clone Wars era. He almost seemed excited.

Arriving at the training area, Blayde removed his cloak and knelt on the floor. Mya followed his example.

"The Force guides us. It surrounds us. It illuminates the path in front of us. We must always remember this, whether we are fighting, flying, speaking, or even resting. Too often our own thoughts get in the way and clouds our way. We need to quiet our minds and open up to the Force. Allow it to flow freely through us."

Blayde closed his eyes. He sensed Mya doing the same. Despite her hope that he forgot about their training, meditation was one of Mya's favorite exercises. She excelled at it. Better than he ever was at her age, and likely better than he was even now.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes slowly shifted into an hour. He felt the Force guiding his mind towards remaining calm in situations where things did not go his way. He was reminded that the Force is working, even though it may not seem like it is in his or the Jedi's best interest. Blayde needed to accept this, and let it become part of who he was. If he didn't the frustration could lead to disastrous outcomes.

"Master…"

Blayde's eyes opened. "Yes, Padawan?"

"I…I think I saw a vision."

He turned quickly towards her. Mya's eyes revealed her shock. This was the first time either of them received a Force Vision. "What did you see?"

"Images. Pictures. A lot I didn't understand." She appeared to be trying to make sense of everything.

"Do you remember all of it?" He pressed for answers.

"Yes. I believe so. It just doesn't make sense."

This was beyond Blayde. He needed help. "I will contact Master Palidore. He will know how to help you. Or at least put us in contact with a Jedi Master who can.

He pulled out his comlink, only to see he had an incoming call from Master Tora. _She might be able to help!_ "Blayde here," he answered.

"Jedi Knight Blayde," Master Tora's calm voice came through the microphone. "I need to see you right away."

 _What is all this about?_ "Alright," he responded slowly. "My apprentice and I are in Training Room 435."

"I will be right there."

"May I ask why you need to see me?"

"I have a mission for you and your apprentice."

Mya's eyes enlarged. "My vision," she whispered.

"Actually, Master Tora, it is good that you called. My apprentice received a vision while we were meditating. And we need help making sense of it."

"Intriguing," she paused. "On second thought, meet me in the Jedi Council's chambers. It will be beneficial for the Council to hear about this. Come immediately."


End file.
